Taking your pet abroad if there’s no Brexit deal

With the upcoming exit from the European Union, certain changes will occur to laws involved with the movement of animals in and out of the country.

The government has published contingency plans for what will happen to the PETS travel scheme in the different scenarios which may happen in March 2019, including what will happen in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit. Here is a link to the website with the full details.

To try and help you decide if this affects you, here is a summary of the potential changes:

Before 29th March 2019

Under the EU Pet Travel Scheme, owners of dogs, cats and ferrets can travel with their animals to and from EU countries provided they hold a valid EU pet passport. This means you must take your pet to the vet at least 21 days before you intend to travel so that we can vaccinate your pet against rabies and ensure that they have a valid pet passport.

After 30th March 2019

When the UK leaves the EU, it will be put into one of three categories, dependant on its animal health status: ‘listed: Part1’, ‘listed: Part 2’ or ‘unlisted’.

What this means to pet owners will depend on the category.

Part 1 listedMeans they operate under the same EU Pet Travel Scheme rules as the EU member states. Therefore, no change to current rules.

Part 2 listedMeans additional conditions will apply. The rabies vaccination rules will remain the same, however, a vet will need to issue a health certificate confirming the pet is appropriately identified and vaccinated against rabies. This is in addition to your pet’s Pet Passport, must be done within 10 days of travel to the EU and is valid for four months of onward travel. This must be done each time your pet travels to the EU.

UnlistedIf the UK leaves the EU in March 2019 with no deal, it would become a third country for the purposes of the EU Pet Travel Scheme. In this case, several changes will be made to the way you travel to the EU with your pet. Please discuss with your vet about travel to the EU at least four months in advance. This means pet owners intending to travel to the EU on 30 March 2019 would need to discuss requirements with their vet before the end of November 2018.

Changes in the event of a ‘no deal’ Brexit:

Rabies vaccination

A blood test to demonstrate sufficient levels of rabies antibody must be carried out a minimum of 30 days after a rabies vaccination. If the animal is up to date with its rabies vaccination (i.e. has had a rabies vaccination within the last 3 years), this blood test can be done immediately.

If the result shows sufficient levels of antibody, a three-month waiting period before travel would still be required from the date the blood was drawn to ensure no rabies symptoms develop.

If the antibody levels are insufficient then the rabies vaccine must be given again and the bloods repeated after 30 days.

Provided a pet’s rabies vaccinations are kept up to date once a test has shown a satisfactory blood level, the blood test does not need to be taken again.

Health certificates to travel to the EU

A vet will need to issue a health certificate confirming the pet is appropriately identified and vaccinated against rabies.

This is in addition to your pet’s Pet Passport, must be done within 10 days of travel to the EU and is valid for four months of onward travel. This must be done each time your pet travels to the EU.

Arriving in the EU

On arrival in the EU, pet owners travelling with their pets would be required to report to a designated Travellers’ Point of Entry (TPE). At the TPE, the pet owner would be asked to present proof of microchip, vaccination and the blood test result alongside their pet’s health certificate.

No quarantine of your pets will happen with the changes in rules.

As always, please feel free to contact us here at Garden Vets with any questions or concerns you may have.